I love lightning fast boxing, and want to join a school who's main emphasis is speed. I've been looking into schools and different styles in NYC and found a few that interest me. Yee's Hung Ga has the 5 animals, leopard and snake are supposedly fast styles. Does anyone practice Hung Ga here and could tell me? There's also a dragon kung fu school in chinatown, a northern mantis school, and yingjowpai. If you practice these forms or another form that is really fast please tell me.

Every martial art emphasizes speed ... it's a universal principle bro ... I would suggest you find a school that emphasizes the type of training that will maximise your speed rather than a style specific school -- the only thing that makes a good style is a good master.

I'm not so much looking for style specific, those are just some schools with generally well known masters in the area, and I wanted to know which animal styles hand speed is generally the fastest. I can only know so much from researching on the internet, just seeing if someone has trained in something like hung gar and could say which style is fastest so I don't waste a year or more plus tons of money on something I'm not looking for.

I think you're not really asking the right question to find out what martial art you want. what is fastest? fastest in what way? in terms of the five animals, as are found in Hung Gar and other southern shaolin styles, leopard is characteristic of speed. it's essence is in muscle. Leopard techniques are fast hand, elbow, and some foot attacks. Snake is characteristic of chi, flowing and circular. Though it also has swift attacks, snake movements are much more gentle. snake attacks will generally make contact with the opponent's limb first, diverting it and sliding up to strike vital spots. Generally, the five animals are taught together. It's rare to find someone teaching only snake style, or only leopard style (in fact I've never heard of any such teacher in the US, anyways.). Praying mantis styles are also known for fast attacks, rapid hands and feet striking vital spots. This would be your best bet, in looking for a school or a teacher. Remember, a complete style always has balance, hard and soft, internal and external, speed and stability. You don't just learn the "fast" part of it.

On a side note, there are many styles named after the same animals, and they are all different. Some styles named after different animals can look very similar. Even different southern shaolin styles have different interpretations of the five animals.

There is no "fastest" style. You will see as you train more and learn more about martial arts.

Thanks for the info, leopard or mantis might be what I'm looking for. As to the type of speed I'm looking for...I'd like to practice a style with many quick hand striking combinations and blocks. My main goal is to increase my reflexes and become used to dealing with a flurry of punches thrown my way, and at the same time push my own self developing speed to punch faster.

Wing Chun is also known for its fast hands,but any style can be fast or slow.It depends on you.If your slow no style will make you fast.if your fast no style should should slow you down.In a real fight you have to move fast so any style has to be able to move fast to be effective,so I think your asking the wrong question.You should be looking at what is right for you..

There are a number of Mantis styles in NYC - Carl Albright teaches 7 Star mantis - his school is known for producing good fighters. I train in 7 star praying mantis and can attest to it's speed. If you want to see mantis speed in action, search YouTube for Brendan Lai.

Regardless, like mentioned previously, learning and utilizing speed takes place independently from style. You can learn it from boxing, judo, jiu-jitsu, wing chun, eagle claw, or mantis. Just find a good teacher.

Speaking of good teachers, I think the Eagle Claw (ying jow pai) school is Leung Shum's school. He is just about the most amazing person I have ever had the priveledge of learning from. I doubt that you'll get training from Master Shum personally, but his students are top notch.